TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday he is willing to repeal legislation that imposed a contract on 55,000 education workers and banned them from striking, if the workers' union agrees to end a walkout that's shut many schools.
Ford said he is willing to be flexible and go back to the bargaining table, but education workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees have to get back into the classroom.
"As a gesture of good faith, our government is willing to rescind the legislation, willing to rescind (the notwithstanding clause), but only if CUPE agrees to show a similar gesture of good faith by stopping their strike," he said at a news conference Monday morning.
"I desperately hope that CUPE shows the same willingness to compromise as we are today. I hope they hear my plea to keep students in class, but that’s not something I can guarantee you."
CUPE was set to hold a news conference later Monday morning.
The government's legislation included the use of the notwithstanding clause to guard against potential constitutional challenges. The clause allows legislatures to override parts of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for a five-year term.
Ford said Monday he understands his use of the notwithstanding clause is controversial, but he would "absolutely not" have done anything differently in the education worker dispute in hindsight.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week called the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause "wrong and inappropriate" and Ford on Monday criticized Trudeau for those comments.
"It's very disappointing the prime minister is being selective within certain provinces about his concerns of overturning the notwithstanding clause," Ford said.
The latest developments come as CUPE, the provincial government, parents and students are awaiting a decision by the Ontario Labour Relations Board on the legality of the walkout that began Friday.
Hundreds of thousands of students were out of the classroom for a second day Monday, as many schools were closed to in-person learning as a result of the walkout, which CUPE had said will continue regardless of the labour board's decision.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2022.
The Canadian Press
